Islamabad, Feb 2 (IANS) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Monday approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the alleged detention of more than 180 party workers during raids conducted in Karachi and other parts of Sindh under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, local media reported.
On Sunday, PTI accused the Sindh police of conducting pre-dawn raids at the houses of party workers and leaders and picked up around 180 of them. Sindh government has rejected the allegations made by PTI.
The petitioners – PTI Sindh General Secretary Mansoor Ali and Insaf Lawyers Forum President Faisal Mughal have requested that the order issued under the MPO, dated February 1, be declared impugned and demanded the immediate release of the party workers, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported.
In the petition, the party has mentioned 14 respondents, including the provincial Chief Secretary, the additional Chief Secretary, the Inspector General of Police, Sindh, the Central police office, additional IGP Karachi police, the deputy IGs east, west, south zone, the SSPs Karachi east, west, south, central, Malir district, Korangi district, Keamari district.
The petitioners urged the court to declare the MPO orders “unconstitutional, illegal, without lawful authority, void ab initio, coram non judice, and of no legal effect.” The petition stated that the orders were issued without “any disclosed or lawful decision, approval, or satisfaction of the Provincial Cabinet,” which it stressed breached Articles 4, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The petitioners contended that PTI as a registered and recognised political party can organise, participate in and conduct peaceful political activity, including meetings, protests, strikes, and political expression. They requested the court to “set aside the impugned orders in their entirety and suspend their operation forthwith.”
The party requested the court to order the immediate release of “all persons who have been arrested, detained, restrained, or otherwise deprived of liberty pursuant to the impugned orders, if not required in any other case,” Dawn reported.
Meanwhile, Sindh government has rejected PTI’s claims, terming them “false and misleading.” Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Memon, who also holds the portfolio of information, said no mass arrests or detentions were made under MPO. Speaking to Dawn, he stated that PTI’s statement was based on incorrect information and was issued to create unnecessary political hype.
–IANS
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